Hong Sa Guided Meditation for Inner Peace
Jun 21, 2021There is a direct relationship between the mind and the breath. Ancient yogi’s knew that as the breath flows, so flows the mind, because there’s a feedback system between the mind and the breath. As the breath becomes calmer, the mind becomes calmer and vice versa.
In the Hong Sa meditation, we concentrate on the breath and the sacred mantra Hong Sa to quiet the mind and access inner peace, stillness and communion with the Divine. This meditation technique was taught by Paramahansa Yogananda, the great yogi who came to the US in the early 1900’s to teach kriya yoga as a path to self-realization.
The mantra Hong Sa means “I am that”-- Hong = I am, Sa = That There are three components of the Hong Sa meditation technique: observing the breath, gazing toward the spiritual eye or 6th chakra, and mentally repeating the mantra HONG on the inhale and SA on the exhale. The combination of these three things work together to draw your consciousness toward communion with the Divine.
The repetition of the mantra Hong Sa not only acts as an object to focus on, the syllables stimulate the chakras and have a vibratory connection with the breath which has the effect of calming it, and therefore bringing the mind into stillness.
Ancient yogi’s have said that HONG SA is the actual sound made by the astral breath. When you gaze upward toward your spiritual eye (the point just between the eyebrows) you come into direct connection with the superconscious because that’s where your energy is centered during deep states of meditation.
Finally, observing the breath from the perspective of the silent observer will aid in calming it. In this way, the Hong Sa technique is the most direct way possible to bring you into a true state of meditation which is probably why Paramahansa Yogananda recommended that his followers and disciples use it daily in their meditation practice.
As you become proficient in this technique, you can extend the length of time you practice it. Begin with 15 or 20 minutes a day and work up to 30 or 45 minutes, always spending at least 5 minutes at the end surrendering yourself to the Divine.
For best results, wear headphones.
00:00 Introduction
1:10 3 Components of Hong Sa technique
2:25 Entering into a deep state of meditation
2:45 Suggestions for using Hong Sa
3:00 Preparation for the meditation
3:30 Breathing
7:30 Guided Hong Sa meditation
